No abstract

Purpose Natural fiber composites have been proven an alternative to conventional composites in many applications such as automotive and transportation industries owing to their eco-friendliness and abundant availability. Also, they are recyclable and biodegradable. Therefore, the need for composites having superior performance is increasing consistently, which has prompted the research reported in this paper. This paper aims to fabricate and evaluate the properties of hybrid composites using glass and cotton fiber with epoxy resin. Design/methodology/approach They were prepared by hand lay-up method, using e-glass and cotton fibers. Epoxy resin used in the preparation of composites. The composites were hybridized at two weight percentages (20 and 30 Wt.%). The prepared samples were tested to evaluate its properties, such as tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength and scanning electron microscope . Findings Microscopic examination revealed the morphological features. Hybrid fiber reinforced epoxy composite (HFREC) exhibited better mechanical properties than the individual samples. It is clear that 30 Wt.% fraction of fiber is better in mechanical properties than 20 Wt.% fraction of fiber reinforcement in both glass fiber and cotton fiber as reinforcement. Also, the hybridization of fibers resulted in increase in properties. Research limitations/implications As cotton fibers are biodegradable, recyclable and lightweight, it has many applications and is mainly used as automotive components, aerospace parts, sporting goods and building industry when reinforced with glass and epoxy. With this scenario, the obtained results of cotton fiber reinforced composites are not ignorable, which could be of potential use, as it leads to better use of available natural fibers. Originality/value This work discovered the properties of e-glass and cotton fiber reinforced epoxy resin hybrid composites (hybridized at different weight percentages), which has not been attempted so far.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of fiber length and content on properties of E-glass and bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrices. Experiments are carried out as per ASTM standards to find the mechanical properties. Further, fractured surface of the specimen is subjected to morphological study. Design/methodology/approach Composite samples were prepared according to ASTM standards and were subjected to tensile and flexural loads. The fractured surfaces of the specimens were examined directly under scanning electron microscope. Findings From the experiment, it was found that the main factors that influence the properties of composite are fiber length and content. The optimum fiber length and weight ratio are 15 mm and 16 percent, respectively, for bamboo fiber/epoxy composite. Hence, the prediction of optimum fiber length and content becomes important, so that composite can be prepared with best mechanical properties. The investigation revealed the suitability of bamboo fiber as an effective reinforcement in epoxy matrix. Practical implications As bamboo fibers are biodegradable, recyclable, light weight and so on, their applications are numerous. They are widely used in automotive components, aerospace parts, sporting goods and building industry. With this scenario, the obtained result of bamboo fiber reinforced composites is not ignorable and could be of potential use, since it leads to harnessing of available natural fibers and their composites rather than synthetic fibers. Originality/value This work enlists the effect of fiber length and fiber content on tensile and flexural properties of bamboo fiber/epoxy composite, which has not been attempted so far.

No abstract

No abstract